Yes, losing Sybil and Matthew like that while people like Thomas and O'Brien is supposed to be some British form of splashing freezing cold water in our faces to remind us that life isn't fair. Here in America it comes across as an unnecessary kick in the nuts after a previous kick in the nuts. I don't like getting kicked in the nuts, especially when watching TV.

/not really//getting a kick out of those just finding out this news///they do exist

There will be a new suitor for the dead character's wife. She will be grieving at first, but then will coquettishly flash the gentleman a little ankle to let him know she is interested. Then a black gentleman will arrive, which will give all the women the vapors.

theurge14:Not watching any more Downton Abbey is also the right thing to do.

Yes, losing Sybil and Matthew like that while people like Thomas and O'Brien is supposed to be some British form of splashing freezing cold water in our faces to remind us that life isn't fair. Here in America it comes across as an unnecessary kick in the nuts after a previous kick in the nuts. I don't like getting kicked in the nuts, especially when watching TV.

This was my problem with the whole Matthew thing. If he already knew he was going to have to kill Matthew it was completely unnecessary to kill Sybil.

It's standard for actors on British shows to have year-to-year contracts, three years is pretty standard too. Like many UK actors, Dan Stevens is a professionally trained actor, not some guy that a perv producer saw at a car wash and "discovered" *cough cough* He trained at Cambridge and the National Theater, he was doing Shakespeare and all that before Downton Abbey blew up. He could easily not do movies or TV much and have a thriving career in the UK theater scene.

Plus, if this season of DA isn't as well received as the first three --and the changes and new cast members they're bringing in make it seem possible-- he'll look like a genius for abandoning ship before DA hits the iceberg. Much rather he leave early and the show end after the fourth season than it becomes one of the shows like M*A*S*H* that stays around for too long and becomes embarrassing, the end of it almost a relief.

As for Matthew and Sybil dying, good for Julian Fellowes. It's still the 1920's and even for the upper crust in England, things like typhoid, tuberculosis and venereal diseases were death sentences and birthin' babies did lead to death for women far too often. Hell, the influenza pandemic of 1918-20 killed anywhere from 50-100 million people worldwide, until the advent of mass-prodcued penicillin in the 1940's, life really could be nasty, brutish and short.

What worries me more about DA is that Fellowes has been quoted as saying it could go on for 10 seasons. The funny part is that would still be about 80 episodes + Christmas specials, barely enough for syndication in the American TV system.

theurge14:Not watching any more Downton Abbey is also the right thing to do.

Yes, losing Sybil and Matthew like that while people like Thomas and O'Brien is supposed to be some British form of splashing freezing cold water in our faces to remind us that life isn't fair. Here in America it comes across as an unnecessary kick in the nuts after a previous kick in the nuts. I don't like getting kicked in the nuts, especially when watching TV.

theurge14:Not watching any more Downton Abbey is also the right thing to do.

Yes, losing Sybil and Matthew like that while people like Thomas and O'Brien is supposed to be some British form of splashing freezing cold water in our faces to remind us that life isn't fair. Here in America it comes across as an unnecessary kick in the nuts after a previous kick in the nuts. I don't like getting kicked in the nuts, especially when watching TV.

Thomas and O'Brien may be major dicks, but I think the show's done a great job showing them to be human. Especially Thomas.

It's standard for actors on British shows to have year-to-year contracts, three years is pretty standard too. Like many UK actors, Dan Stevens is a professionally trained actor, not some guy that a perv producer saw at a car wash and "discovered" *cough cough* He trained at Cambridge and the National Theater, he was doing Shakespeare and all that before Downton Abbey blew up. He could easily not do movies or TV much and have a thriving career in the UK theater scene.

Plus, if this season of DA isn't as well received as the first three --and the changes and new cast members they're bringing in make it seem possible-- he'll look like a genius for abandoning ship before DA hits the iceberg. Much rather he leave early and the show end after the fourth season than it becomes one of the shows like M*A*S*H* that stays around for too long and becomes embarrassing, the end of it almost a relief.

As for Matthew and Sybil dying, good for Julian Fellowes. It's still the 1920's and even for the upper crust in England, things like typhoid, tuberculosis and venereal diseases were death sentences and birthin' babies did lead to death for women far too often. Hell, the influenza pandemic of 1918-20 killed anywhere from 50-100 million people worldwide, until the advent of mass-prodcued penicillin in the 1940's, life really could be nasty, brutish and short.

What worries me more about DA is that Fellowes has been quoted as saying it could go on for 10 seasons. The funny part is that would still be about 80 episodes + Christmas specials, barely enough for syndication in the American TV system.

/Yank

I doubt he'll be seen as a genius. More likely as someone who contributed to the show's demise. Not that he should cry about it if he's doing well otherwise.

Carth:theurge14: Not watching any more Downton Abbey is also the right thing to do.

Yes, losing Sybil and Matthew like that while people like Thomas and O'Brien is supposed to be some British form of splashing freezing cold water in our faces to remind us that life isn't fair. Here in America it comes across as an unnecessary kick in the nuts after a previous kick in the nuts. I don't like getting kicked in the nuts, especially when watching TV.

It's standard for actors on British shows to have year-to-year contracts, three years is pretty standard too. Like many UK actors, Dan Stevens is a professionally trained actor, not some guy that a perv producer saw at a car wash and "discovered" *cough cough* He trained at Cambridge and the National Theater, he was doing Shakespeare and all that before Downton Abbey blew up. He could easily not do movies or TV much and have a thriving career in the UK theater scene.

Plus, if this season of DA isn't as well received as the first three --and the changes and new cast members they're bringing in make it seem possible-- he'll look like a genius for abandoning ship before DA hits the iceberg. Much rather he leave early and the show end after the fourth season than it becomes one of the shows like M*A*S*H* that stays around for too long and becomes embarrassing, the end of it almost a relief.

As for Matthew and Sybil dying, good for Julian Fellowes. It's still the 1920's and even for the upper crust in England, things like typhoid, tuberculosis and venereal diseases were death sentences and birthin' babies did lead to death for women far too often. Hell, the influenza pandemic of 1918-20 killed anywhere from 50-100 million people worldwide, until the advent of mass-prodcued penicillin in the 1940's, life really could be nasty, brutish and short.

What worries me more about DA is that Fellowes has been quoted as saying it could go on for 10 seasons. The funny part is that would still be about 80 episodes + Christmas specials, barely enough for syndication in the American TV system.

/Yank

If the fourth season is worse than the first three, I find it hard to believe it will be for a more compelling reason than the loss of arguably the two favorite characters of the show. If DA hits an iceberg it's because Stevens and Findlay stole the damn lookout binoculars.

The first series was quite good, if a little heavy handed with the historical foreshadowing.

The second and third series' weren't nearly as good. They gave up telling entertaining little stories about the characters and started telling Big Important Life-Changing Stories. First series: Bates is self-conscious about his leg and buys that horrible contraption to try and straighten it. Second series: Bates has a pyscho ex-wife who refuses to divorce him and he ends up maybe killing her in a fit of rage. It really wasn't as pleasurable to watch.

I don't think he needs to worry about keeping the lights on; he finished a Broadway show recently with Jessica Chastain ("The Heiress"). As long as they keep showing us shirtless Branson, I'll keep tuning in.

Brokenseas:The first series was quite good, if a little heavy handed with the historical foreshadowing.

The second and third series' weren't nearly as good. They gave up telling entertaining little stories about the characters and started telling Big Important Life-Changing Stories. First series: Bates is self-conscious about his leg and buys that horrible contraption to try and straighten it. Second series: Bates has a pyscho ex-wife who refuses to divorce him and he ends up maybe killing her in a fit of rage. It really wasn't as pleasurable to watch.

I agree. The first series was great because it was (relatively) small character based stories set against an incredibly elaborate and fascinating backdrop. I still liked series 2 and 3, but there was a pretty big drop off.

Hoban Washburne:Brokenseas: The first series was quite good, if a little heavy handed with the historical foreshadowing.

The second and third series' weren't nearly as good. They gave up telling entertaining little stories about the characters and started telling Big Important Life-Changing Stories. First series: Bates is self-conscious about his leg and buys that horrible contraption to try and straighten it. Second series: Bates has a pyscho ex-wife who refuses to divorce him and he ends up maybe killing her in a fit of rage. It really wasn't as pleasurable to watch.

I agree. The first series was great because it was (relatively) small character based stories set against an incredibly elaborate and fascinating backdrop. I still liked series 2 and 3, but there was a pretty big drop off.

If you two are saying that the show dipped when Rosie leslie left, I would agree.

Awful show. Predictable and a completely unrealistic portrayal of the time period. I decided to watch it because of the hype, and I got through 3 episodes (the last one with Matthew's death), and it felt like I was watching a daytime soap opera.

It's standard for actors on British shows to have year-to-year contracts, three years is pretty standard too. Like many UK actors, Dan Stevens is a professionally trained actor, not some guy that a perv producer saw at a car wash and "discovered" *cough cough* He trained at Cambridge and the National Theater, he was doing Shakespeare and all that before Downton Abbey blew up. He could easily not do movies or TV much and have a thriving career in the UK theater scene.

Plus, if this season of DA isn't as well received as the first three --and the changes and new cast members they're bringing in make it seem possible-- he'll look like a genius for abandoning ship before DA hits the iceberg. Much rather he leave early and the show end after the fourth season than it becomes one of the shows like M*A*S*H* that stays around for too long and becomes embarrassing, the end of it almost a relief.

As for Matthew and Sybil dying, good for Julian Fellowes. It's still the 1920's and even for the upper crust in England, things like typhoid, tuberculosis and venereal diseases were death sentences and birthin' babies did lead to death for women far too often. Hell, the influenza pandemic of 1918-20 killed anywhere from 50-100 million people worldwide, until the advent of mass-prodcued penicillin in the 1940's, life really could be nasty, brutish and short.

What worries me more about DA is that Fellowes has been quoted as saying it could go on for 10 seasons. The funny part is that would still be about 80 episodes + Christmas specials, barely enough for syndication in the American TV system.

/Yank

DA will bring in major $$$ ££££ €€€ ¥¥¥ in video and download sales in the future. Syndication won't be an issue if Abbey does go another 10yrs